Hi all,
I'm currently a full-time firefighter in NYC, parent, husband etc., looking to attend law school part-time in the NYC area. I intend on beginning my 1L year in fall of 2028, with my anticipated LSAT in June of 2027. I also consult/teach mental performance and leadership in high-risk settings on the side. Undergrad GPA is 3.6, with 3.8 in graduate courses (never finished degree, St. John's), and my first cold diagnostic was a 144 (two weeks ago, shooting for a 170, because why not?!). Currently using 7Sage long with the PowerScore Bibles. Being that I have a fairly non-traditional background, can anyone who is deeper into this journey offer some insight/encouragement/advice? Being that I have two young children who drain the life/money out of us, securing money is a HUGE piece of this.
3 comments
you have an awesome story and background that i think law schools would really want. that lsat is pretty low though and what you might want to boost for the money part. itll take time but you have a year! go thru the 7sage courses, build a nonfiction reading habit (no trashy self help books!) to complement studying, and focus on reviewing mistakes over doing a high volume of drills.
@zunair Thanks so much. Seems like information overload in the early stages of all this (i.e. Do I do more questions? Should i be focusing on learning the language of the test? This platform vs others? etc.) Have always been a daily reader, so the 144 was incredibly discouraging as a starting point diagnostic. From a time perspective, is it better to watch the explanation videos (some of which are fifteen minutes for one question!) or is it more beneficial to blind review and look at the explanations next to each choice? On my diagnostic, LR and time management were my two main killers, so trying to stay focused on that since RC was actually halfway decent.
@MikeO811 what helped me was doing the lessons. they're really fast to get through if you prefer reading over videos, and the fact they make you do drills alongside lessons helps you understand what your weak points are + get active practice in. if i got a drill correct in a lesson, i'd skim it. if i got it wrong, then i'd do it in depth. that saved me tons of time.
i really regret all the time i spent just doing drills and prep tests without understanding what i was doing. so that's the main thing i, personally, would warn anyone against.
also fee waiver is the first priority if you qualify (I'm assuming with the kids you do!) transcripts second in case stuff gets complicated (it took me SIX MONTHS for my uni to finally send mine). lsat you can do along the way, and essays once you have time but they don't take as long IMO.